Case



Feb. 11, 1958 A. s. TARTAGLIA 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. lO, 1956 v2J Y IN VEN TOR.

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Feb. 11, 1958 A. s. TARTAGLIA 2,822,951

CASE

Filed Deo. 10, 1956 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR. A/f/m/W finer/1a f/i,

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Uniti-d States arent CASE Anthony S. Tartaglia, Seelyville, Ind.

Application December 10, 1956, Serial No. 627,482

4 Claims. (Cl. 22019) This invention relates to a rigid, open-top case adapted primarily to contain and support a plurality of cardboard milk cartons, although the invention is equally adapted to incorporation in a case adapted to contain other articles. It is desirable that such cases be so constructed that they can be telescopically nested when empty, in order to conserve space in the storage of empty cases. The capability of nesting, however, is undesirable when the cases are full; for if full cases were to be superposed, the weight of the superposed cases would be imposed on the cartons of the lowermost case.

It is an object -of my invention to produce a case so constructed that empty cases can be nested together while, in a stack yof superposed cases, the weight of the cases and their contents will be transmitted directly from case to case without being imposed on the contents of any case.

In carrying out my invention in its preferred form, I provide a case-bottom comprising a rectangular peripheral frame and cross-members extending over and secured to said frame to support the contents of the case. Some of such cross-members extend Voutwardly beyond the frame and support side walls conveniently comprising vertically extending wires the upper ends of which are surrounded by and secured to an upper marginal frame. Intermediate their height, the side walls are oset outwardly so that the horizontal dimensions of the upper portion of the case will be larger than those of the lower portion, thus permitting similar cases to be telescopically nested. The offsetting of the side walls provides upwardly presented shoulders limiting the extent to which two cases may be nested together. On the upper margin-al frame, I mount abutment members movable from a rst position in which they engage the bottom of a superposed case to prevent nesting and a second position in which they permit such nesting.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate ya preferred embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a case on the line 1-1-of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the oase;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmental isometric view of a corner of the case; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmental view similar to Fig. 1, but on an enlarged scale and illustrating the provisions which permit similar cases to be superposed Without imposition of weight on the case-contents.

The case illustrated in the drawings has a bottom cornpsing a rectangular peripheral frame conveniently formed -of round metal rod. Transverse mem-bers 11, which may also be of circular metal rod, extend in parallel relation on and across the frame 10 with their ends projecting beyond opposite sides of such frame. Cross members 12, desirably of metal strip, extend across the frame 10 perpendicularly to the rods 11 to provide a latvtice-like construction for the case-bottom, the ends of the strips 12 conveniently extending into contact with the frame 10 to which they are secured, as by welding.

'Resting on the projecting ends of the rods 11 is a rectangular frame 15 which is larger in both dimensions than the frame 10 and which is secured as by welding to the rods 11. At the top of the case is a third rectangular frame 16 which, in turn, is larger in both dimensions than the frame 15. The frames 15 and 16 may be formed of the same material as the frame 10 and rods 11.

The frames 15 and 16 are interconnected at the corners of the case by struts 20 and by side members 21. The struts 20 are desirably formed of sheet-metal strips, while the side members 21 may be of wire. The upper portion of each side member 21 is oset outwardly with respect to the lower portion to provide a shoulder 22, the shoulders of the several side members desirably being all located at the same elevation. The lupper portion of each strut 20 is also oiset outwardly, the offsetting being so preformed `as to provide an intermediate portion 23. To reinforce the side members 21 and lessen the likelihood of their becoming bent in use, I may provide upper and lower reinforcing members and 26 which surround the case in contact with the side members 21 and struts 20. The struts 20 and side members 21 are secured, conveniently by welding, to the frames 15 and 16 and the reinforcing members 25 and 26.

On opposite sides of the upper frame 16 there are mounted movable abutment members 30. Each of such abutment members has a long intermediate portion extending parallel to the associated side of the frame 16 and provided -at its ends with laterally projecting arms 31 pivotally connected to the `associated side of the frame 16. Conveniently, such pivotal connection is affected by providing the ends of the arms 31 with aligned openings receiving the circular stock from which the frame 16 is formed. The abutment members are swingable between two positions-namely, the exterior positions shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4 and the interior positions shown in Fig. 5.V In their exterior positions, the abutment members 30 merely hang downwardly under the iniluence of gravity on the outside of the case; and from this position they may be swung upwardly, inwardly, and then downwardly until they engage the inner faces of the side members 21, which engagement determines the respective interior positions of the abutment members.

The extent of oisetting of the side members 21 is such, that with the abutment members in their exterior positions, the lower portion of one case may be inserted into the upper portion of `another until the lower frame 15 of `the former engages the shoulders 22 of the latter as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l. However, the diameter of the members 30 is `such that when such members are in their interior positions, -the bottom frame 10 of a second case may be passed between the two abutment members while the frame 15 of the second case will overlap and rest upon such abutment members as shown in Fig. 5. In this manner, the weight of the superposed case and its contents may be transmitted directly to the case below and the contents -of the lower case are not subjected to any of such weight.

When it is desired to stack empty cases, the abutment members 30 are swung to their exterior positions, as shown in Fig. l, whereupon the relatively small lower portion Vof any case may be telescoped into the relatively large upper portion of another case, with the lower frame 15 of the upper case resting on the shoulders 22 of the lower case. The `offset portions 23 of the struts 20 are located below the shoulders Z2 so as -to lavoid interference with the nesting of one case into another.

While I have referred above to the frames 10, 15, and 16 as being rectangular, they are desirably square. The wire side members 21 lying immediately on opposite sides of the midpoint of each side of the case may be spread apart above the upper reinforcing mem-ber 25,v as indicated at 35, to provide a space for entry ot fingers when the case is to be lifted.

It will be noted fromFig` S'that the bottom kframe it?" of the superposed casein beinglowered toitsvnal position and in passing. between the abutment members 3@ will guide the superpose'd case to a position inv vertical alignment with the lower case.

I claim as my invention:

l. A case, comprising a rectangularV bottom frame, cross members extending on and across. said bottom frame and secured thereto, the ends of said cross-members projectingheyond'- opposite sides of said bottom frame, a lower peripheraltrameV on and-securedto projecting ends of saidcross members, side members extending. upwardly from said" lower peripheral frame, said side members lyingagainst and -being secured tothe inner side of such lower peripheral framevand being offset outwardly intermediate theirheight to provide arshoulder adapted to be-engaged'by and to support the lower peripheral frame of another similar case, an upper peripheral frame surrounding and secured to the upper ends of the side members, and a pair of abutment memberspivotalh mounted on oppositesides of said upper peripheral frame, each ot said abutment members being swingable from a first position outside the case to a second position in which it lies against the inner faces of the side members, said abutment members extending along the sides fof the frame on which they are pivotally mounted and being of such diameter thatwhen in their respective second positions the bottom frame of a superposed case can pass between them while the lower peripheral frame of'such superposed case will not pass between them but will instead'rest on 'and be supported by said abutment members.

2. A case, comprising a rectangular bottom frame, cross members extending on and across said bottom frame and secured thereto, the ends of said cross-members projecting beyond opposite sides of said bottom frame, a lower peripheral frame on and secured to the projecting ends of said cross members, side members extending upwardly from said lower peripheral frame and secured thereto being offset outwardly intermediate their height to provide a shoulder adapted to be engaged by and to support the lower peripheral frame of another similar case, an upper peripheral frame secured to the upper ends of the Iside members, and a pair of abutment members pivotally mounted on opposite sides of said upper peripheral frame, each of said abutment members being swing* able from a rst position outside the case to a second position in which it lies against the inner faces of the side members, said abutment members extending along the sides of the frame on which they are pivotally mounted and being of such diameter that when in their respective second positions the bottom frame of a superposed case can pass between them while the lower peripheral frame of such superposed casewill not pass between them but will instead rest on'and be supported by said abutment members.

3. A case, comprising a substantially square bottom, substantially similar side walls secured to and projecting upwardly from said bottom and substantially perpendicular thereto, said side walls beingy offset outwardly intermediate their height to provide an upwardly presented shoulder, and abutment members mounted adjacent the upper edges of opposite side walls for movement between iirst and second respective positions, said abutment members when in their said rst positions lying outwardlyy beyond said shoulder to permit passage of the bottom of a superposed similar case into engagement with said'shoulder and when in their second position lying above and spaced upwardly over said shoulder to be engaged by and to support a superposed case.

4. A case, comprising a bottom, side walls securedr to and projecting upwardly from said bottom, saidside walls being offset outwardly intermediate their height to provide an upwardly presented shoulder, abutment members mounted adjacent the upper edges of`opposite side walls for movement between first and second respective positions, said abutment members when in their said. first positions lying outwardly beyond saidV shoulder to. permit passage of the bottom of a superposed similar case into engagement with said shoulder and when in their second position lying `above and spaced upwardly over saidrshoul-A der to be engaged by the bottom of `a superposed similar case to support the same, and means located below and rigid with said bottom and engageable with the abutment members of a subjacent case to limit relative horizontal movement of the two cases.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSl 1,219,969 Lowe Mar; 20, l91-7 2,134,875 Henze Nov. l, 1938` FOREIGN PfilENTSy 609,141 Great Britain Sept. 27 19481 718,208 Great Britain Nov. l0, 1954' 

